Arthur and Maddy.  Arthur and Lucille.  Arthur and Nola.  Important women, all at different points in Arthur’s life.  Widower Arthur visits the cemetery every day to have lunch at his wife’s graveside.  This may sound odd, but he’s doing OK.  He gets up, gets his meals, tends to the aloof cat and gets out of the house.  He’s got a friendly neighbor, Lucille.  Arthur meets Maddy at the cemetery where she is escaping the frustration of lunch alone during high school.  He sees in her a soul most lost than his own self.  Arthur decides that Maddy needs a friend and he is at the perfect point in time, though over 80, to extend her that welcome.
This story touches on loneliness, friendship, grief and loving kindness.  I really enjoyed the story.  I felt the three main characters were developed to the point where I knew them.
This is a very good story!

Such a sweet and charming tale. It’s the kind of book that just warms your heart as it aches with the sadness each of the characters feel. Despite the simplicity of the prose (which I feel is perfect for this book), there is a lot underneath the surface about loneliness, loss, regret, and life after all three pass. While the main three are all well-done, the true shining star is Arthur. He’s just the loveliest character. I found myself smirking at so many of his thoughts and even once laughing aloud.

Was it predictable? Absolutely. But, somehow that didn’t bother me. It’s a satisfyingly heartwarming story that wraps up just how you would expect. I didn’t feel like it cheapened the story in that respect and I sped through the whole book in less than a day.

I have two complaints though. One, chapters. Why are there no chapters when you switch between three characters? It irked me not to have a good stopping place. Two, and without giving a spoiler, something that seems medically-impossible occurs. It felt a little black-box to me and I just can’t let it go. Overall though, it was lovely and I enjoyed it.

Another wonderful novel by Ms Berg....Always enjoy her stories. Have highly recommended this one to all of my reading friends.

Thank you Netgalley.com for the advanced digital copy of The story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg in return for my honest review.

I loved the idea of The story of Arthur Truluv more than its execution. I thought this book was going to be the perfect fit for me and my reading tastes, but I was not wowed by this novel. Listen, everyone should be so lucky to have an Arthur Truluv in his/her life, a wise elderly gentleman who is genuinely good and kind. What lost me was that he reached out to a perfect stranger and started changing lives, including his own, for the better, almost immediately. I believe in the beauty of connecting with others and it's transformative powers, but as much as the premise intrigued and touched me, it didn't feel like a realistic story. Arthur Truluv visited his wife, the love of his life, everyday at the cemetery. His loss and loneliness was heartbreaking, but his devotion inspiring. Maddy, a lost and unhappy high school senior, escapes to the cemetery each day during lunch for some relief from a brutal school day. Arthur and Maddy meet by chance, and together life is instantly better,. But, it happened too quickly, too easily, and their interactions didn't feel honest. I didn't believe Arthur would ask this girl back to her home nor was it believable that she would accept such an invitation with little suspicion.

I love Elizabeth Berg. She is an amazing author. The Story of Arthur Truluv will definitely have a following, but for a real treat read Open House and A Year of Pleasures two of my favorite novels.

I absolutely loved this book. It's emotional and has multiple generations interacting offering different opinions and ideas for a common situation. Arthur is 82 and barely surviving the death of his wife several months ago. He takes his lunch to the cemetery each day to talk. Maddie is a 17 year old soon to graduate from high school who finds herself pregnant and pushed out of her home by her dad who insists she get an abortion. Lillian is Arthur's elderly neighbor who thought love had passed her by but meets an old beau, gets engaged and loses him to a heart attack. These three become a family unit and take care of each other. So emotional but very feel good. All three were desperate but found that life goes on even in the face of adversity and death. Hope Maddie has a book of her own in the future that she can reminisce about more time with Arthur and Lillian.

I loved this very well written book. The book has a good plot and interesting characters.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32918898-the-story-of-arthur-truluv" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Story of Arthur Truluv" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487140969m/32918898.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32918898-the-story-of-arthur-truluv">The Story of Arthur Truluv</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3529.Elizabeth_Berg">Elizabeth Berg</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1977547602">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
There are three people who this story is about.<br />Arthur Moses (Truluv), a sweet widower, 85 yrs old.<br />Maddy, a 17 yr old senior in high school, lost her mother to a car accident shortly after her birth, very unpopular at school, a loner.<br />Lucille, an elderly neighbor of Arthur's that has never been married and is quite boisterous and a great baker.<br />Sad circumstances bring these three lonely people together and it's a beautiful story! <br /><br />Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!<br /><br /><br /><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/12851291-karen">View all my reviews</a>

An elderly widower, Arthur and his heartbroken elderly neighbor, Lucille form an unlikely friendship with a teenage misfit. While this seems a bit of a Man Called Ove wannabee, it was a sweet, albeit predictable story that provides a nice escape for a few hours.

The next part contains a bit of a SPOILER so if you haven't read the book, you can stop reading here (though this comes up fairly early on in the book):
I gotta know -- wasn't anyone else bothered by this whole virgin pregnancy thing? I mean, give me a break! I don't know why Berg would have her get pregnant without penetration or any mention of semen getting in or even near a vagina. Maybe it's so the reader will think Maddy is still a "good girl" or so that Anderson wouldn't be accused of statutory rape, I really don't know. But that unbelievable scenario and the fact that no doctor or anyone even mentions that she's still a virgin during any examinations almost ruined the whole book for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this wonderful story. After losing his wife, Nola, Arthur takes his lunch and lawn chair and visits the cemetery everyday, talking to Nola and finding comfort in feeling her presence. Maddie, a seventeen year old senior in high school, who lost her mother when Maddie was a newborn, visits the cemetery, finding solace in taking pictures and thinking about the lives of the people buried there. Estranged from her father, Maddie finds hope and comfort from her new friend Arthur, who she calls Truluv. With Lucille, the energetic next door neighbor, who also lost her husband and then her new love, the three form an everlasting bond of family, friendship and trust. I loved this book.

It's been quite a while since I've read an Elizabeth Berg novel. This one reminded me of why I enjoy her so much and why it shouldn't be so long in between next time. I liked all of these characters.

Free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Every day Arthur has lunch at his wife's grave, and visits other headstones to imagine the lives of the other deceased. He notices a high school student, Maddy, who also visits the cemetery most days (while she should be in school), and eventually they become good friends. Maddy's life is moving at a fast pace, first a break-up with her boyfriend, then the discovery that she is pregnant, then moving out of her distant father's house, and then moving in with Arthur to be his housekeeper. The third member of the unlikely trio of friends is Lucille, Arthur's prickly neighbor. Although this novel may be rather predictable, Berg has created believable characters for us to care about, and a heartwarming story of resilience and kindness in the face of real hardship.

I've loved Elizabeth Berg for years and this story did not disappoint. There are 3 characters, Arthur, Maddie and Lucille. They are each lonely in their own way. Rather than tucking in and "minding their own business" they all step up and help each other. It's just a beautifully woven story of what family really means.

This is the story of Arthur an 82 year old man who goes to the cemetary every day with his chair and lunch and he has lunch with his recently deceased wife Nola. He meets 17 year old Maddie who has gotten thrown out of her Father's home for being pregnant, Her Mom died in child birth, she refuses to give the baby up or abort. Maddie hangs out at the cemetary, she seems to feel comfortable there and that is where she meets Arthur.. Arthur has a neighbor named Lucille who bakes the most amazing cookies, etc., but he finds her irritating.

I've read only one other book by Elizabeth Berg, her first book which was fantastic! This book was really hard to push through. I remember looking and my kindle said I was 44% through and I still hadn't enough information on the characters to see where the story was going. She pulled it together after that and I was quite happy with the latter half of the book, but I just wish this book would have been been more interesting early on.

I received this book from netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review!

The description of the book as found on Good Reads: A beautiful, life-affirming novel about a remarkably loving man who creates for himself and others second chances at happiness.

A moving novel about three people who find their way back from loss and loneliness to a different kind of happiness. Arthur, a widow, meets Maddy, a troubled teenage girl who is avoiding school by hiding out at the cemetery, where Arthur goes every day for lunch to have imaginary conversations with his late wife, and think about the lives of others. The two strike up a friendship that draws them out of isolation. Maddy gives Arthur the name Truluv, for his loving and positive responses to every outrageous thing she says or does. With Arthur’s nosy neighbor Lucille, they create a loving and unconventional family, proving that life’s most precious moments are sweeter when shared.

Elizabeth Berg's books resonate with people of all ages. She often writes abut circumstances that alter one's chosen path and unexpected possibilities that offer something better in life. She has insight that few share and can express. Berg made me laugh, cry, and wish for more. Her unassuming characters form a friendship that when it exists, it's to be treasured and valued. In the Acknowledgements, Berg writes about sending the manuscript to a friend with the hope that she "gets" it. I got it, loved it and will recommend it to friends.

4.5--hovering but...

This short book is a sweet, sad, moving story about three people [primarily two--Arthur and Maddy] who make new lives for themselves by opening up to each other.

Arthur, (re)named Truluv, by Maddy, is an 85-year old widower. Maddy, a loner, ostracized at school, is an 18-year old pregnant teen. She lives with her dad, a widower, who rarely talks.

Arthur goes to the cemetery every day to visit Nola, his deceased wife. He brings his lunch, talks to Nola, and imagines the lives of the other people buried there. He meets Maddy at the cemetery and gradually they become friends.

Lucille, Arthur's neighbor, is a retired teacher; a lonely woman who loves to bake. Her story is separate from Arthur's and Maddy's--until it is not. I liked the before; I loved the after. When Lucille enters Arthur and Maddy's newly-formed household it is quite the home.

And Gordon, Arthur's cat, has his own persona--which also often was humorous.

Some of the lines brought a smile to my face. For example--Maddy has a nose ring which Arthur notes is "... hanging out the bottom like a booger." Lucille's snoring is described as "[she]... could be her own percussion section in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra." And, Maddy sees her father as "constant bad weather."

This book reminded me of Plainsong [whch I also liked a lot]--where two elderly men take in a pregnant teen.

I was engaged immediately. Why? Perhaps because I liked the characters and felt them all well drawn. At times predictable, my interest never waned. Complaint: too short! Heartwarming, bittersweet, a good read!

Sweet story! Elderly Arthur visits his wife's grave every day and one day he meets Maddy, a high school senior, at the cemetery where she is exercising her love of photography with the headstones. The pair strike an interesting friendship that heals them of their sorrows. Beautiful novel about old and young and the story of people's lives who live short or long. Berg never fails me as a writer.

Berg's talented writing rescues a cliched story of a lonely widower coming slowly to life with the help of a quirky teenager dealing with her own loneliness. The characters come to life but the plot has been done too many times before.

Thoroughly enjoyed this story of a young girl and an elderly man who find each other in a cemetery and in doing so find a family. Elizabeth Berg at her best!

I loved, loved, loved this book. Elizabeth Berg is such an amazingly talented writer. She has a quiet way with her words and in a few simple phrases can lay open your heart. I laughed and cried reading The Story of Arthur Truluv and I am so grateful that Elizabeth Berg is in the world and sharing her talents with us!